The measures are expected to take effect within a week, although the specific levies to be scrapped will only be confirmed after consultations with industry stakeholders and transport operators. Ghana currently imports around 70% of its refined fuel, making the economy highly exposed to global oil price shocks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Reacting to the announcement, Executive Director of Revenue Mobilisation Africa, Geoffrey Kabutey Ocansey, described the decision as timely and courageous. \u201cThis is a very brave decision by government,\u201d Ocansey told Channel Africa on Friday. \u201cIt is meant to reduce the burden on consumers and provide relief across the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He indicated that the first likely move would be the removal of a one\u2011cedi levy introduced to clear energy sector debt, followed by a review of additional charges depending on global price trends. The tax relief measures will initially remain in place for four weeks, after which they will be reviewed in line with developments in international oil markets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The government has also announced plans to fast\u2011track the deployment of 100 metro mass buses to provide affordable public transport, while reinforcing calls for reduced fuel allowances and discretionary spending by public officials.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, Ocansey warned that the relief measures could expose imbalances within the transport sector. He noted that while fuel prices dropped sharply in 2025, many private operators did not reduce fares and recently attempted to raise them again after prices rebounded.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On longer\u2011term solutions, Ocansey stressed the need for domestic refining capacity to reduce reliance on imports and improve energy security. \u201cGhana has an oil refinery and crude resources, yet we still export crude and import refined products,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not only Ghana\u2019s problem. It is an African problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said the revival of the Tema Oil Refinery is a positive step, though it is not yet operating at full capacity. Ocansey expressed hope that locally produced crude would soon be refined domestically, allowing Ghana to capture full value along the energy chain. \u201cAfrica is not poor,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is poorly managed. If we refine what we produce and think long\u2011term, our economies will be more resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The fuel tax relief comes as several African governments adopt emergency measures to shield households from the ripple effects of soaring global oil prices.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":31496,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-31495","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Ghana is preparing to remove selected fuel taxes and supply\u2011chain charges in a bid to ease pressure on consumers struggling with rising pump prices triggered by the Middle East conflict.","published_date":"","news_description":"Ghana is preparing to remove selected fuel taxes and supply\u2011chain charges in a bid to ease pressure on consumers struggling with rising pump prices triggered by the Middle East conflict.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/31495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/31495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31497,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/31495\/revisions\/31497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=31495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}